The Dallas move, Status updates, questions and concerns6722

I'm sure you are all aware, 2 weeks ago was our big move. We had hoped to keep our customer service email box under at a manageable level with minimal response times, and the phones up during this transition from Saint Petersburg, over to Dallas, but there have been a few bumps along the way. We had also hoped to be up to full running speed by June 18th, but we are just now dialling in our new office to the best we can. While we are not expecting any major delays from this move, there are going to be orders that fall behind. Any delays the crop up from this move will be promptly brought under control, and will not affect any soon to be future submissions for to long, but we ask for your patience and understanding.

As it stands now, our customer service inbox is filled to the brim with emails, and our phone is usually ringing off the hook for status updates on an order currently in house. Many of you that have talked with me know my views on our website, and how I am it's biggest critic. It is lacking in some key features that are going to be worked on in the future, but for now our priority is getting your orders completed in a timely manner.
That in mind, a lot of concern I hear most frequently is over the expected completion date. So I cooked up a spreadsheet that will help you better understand when you should expect that wonderful email containing that tracking number that completes your order. Baring the current delay, this is fairly accurate. The link for it can be found here.

Below are some answers to some answers to common questions that are asked about books submitted to shows and the mail.

Convention turnaround times?

For conventions that you dropped your books off at, the turnaround time for standard tiers (Modern, Expanded, Consumer) will begin on the Wednesday following the convention, assuming it isn't a holiday of course.

If you dropped a 1-day or 2-day off at the convention, the turnaround time starts when we receive the package containing your book from the courier.

Orders received at the shows may take up to 3-5 weeks of processing time for standard tier submissions before the invoice is placed into the system, this rings especially true right now, as the staff is training some new personnel in the data entry. We do multiple shows a weekend, and the standard tiers are the last to be entered in from any show. This is also when your card is charged if you have it listed for such. If you paid cash, it automatically routes over to the billing department so the cash transaction log can be cross referenced.

Mailed in books?

Mail in orders are backdated to when we receive the package.
The exception is of course for order received during the week of June 11th - June 15th as our office was in an 18 wheeler.

1-Day and 2-Day invoices start as soon as we open the parcel, but if it is 4pm or later, the turnaround is going to start the following day.

A message from Steve Borock to everyone

“We at CBCS are very sorry about the delay in getting back to your calls, emails, and social media messages. We know your orders are very important and you are worried about the turnaround times, which is why we are focused on getting everything unpacked, sorted, and the process back on track. This slow-down is not ideal for anyone, but it is necessary for our future plans and success. We really are moving as fast as possible and the CBCS employees have gone above and beyond for you and the company by working, and continuing to work, many extra hours and weekends.

We were so excited to see how many books were already in Dallas waiting for us when we arrived, but that excitement was short lived as we knew questions about delays were piling up. The only thing we can do right now is apologize to you and keep working diligently to correct this delay. Thank you for your continued support and please have faith in us as we really do care about our hobby and are extremely excited about the future of CBCS”

We are doing everything we can to ensure to you that we value your books just as much as you do, and value the trust you place in our company and our employees even more.

If you guys have questions, ask away. I'm leaving the thread open to answer as many questions as possible for the next few hours.

Any info for those of us that were expecting to pick our books up in St Pete this month ? Are we going to be charged shipping back from Dallas? Obviously that is an expense I was not planning on when I dropped the books off. Thanks for any info.

@Excelsiorcomix That one I do know about it. I've had someone tracking that down since you brought that one to my attention. There are still a few thousand books and orders that need to be unpacked, and as soon as it is tracked down, like all the fast tiers that are behind, it will be pushed to the front of the queue. Hang tight and something will happen with it soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KatKomicsWhat are the status's again and their flow?
Submitted then Received, Pressing, Grading etc.??

Fully expect that my books won't come back till around Christmas (site said 24weeks eta) but that's ok with AW, Press, photo etc. handed to the booth at a convention June 1-3rd.

ASP's don't add any turnaround time. Same goes for adding an image of the book.
Vsp's add 2 weeks of processing time due to the backlog of books to VSP

You mentioned pressing on your order. Current turnarounds for pressing plus the standard tier grading do have it are a painfully long 6 months. I don't have any pressing times listed on that spreadsheet as it is. I would do it now, but there are some plans in the works to really speed up the pressing turnaround. I'm sure when we are ready to let everyone in on what we have going on @SteveRicketts will fill everyone in.

Originally Posted by Jake_Fleming
A message from Steve Borock to everyone...

The only thing we can do right now is apologize to you and keep working diligently to correct this delay.

We are doing everything we can to ensure to you that we value your books just as much as you do, and value the trust you place in our company and our employees even more.

This is pretty obviously not true. @Excelsiorcomix hit the nail on the head; are you offering refunds or future discounts/upgrades for people who don't get their orders on time? Is there anything you plan on doing to actually make up for all the problems instead of just saying that soon the problems will go away?

I'm not personally worried about the books I have in right now because even on time I won't get them until August, but as someone who would like to continue doing business with CBCS the whole situation leaves a bad taste in my mouth. TATs were never changed, customer service goes out the window, the website never informs anyone and it's not much better on the forums or Facebook. Customers are supposed to know what they're getting when they buy something, and CBCS is failing at that fundamental level.

The hurricane slowdown was understandable. Moving the office is a choice by the company and something that was (or should have been) planned in advance. Customers should have been informed through every avenue possible, and now that they haven't been, something should be done to rectify the situation. Promising to get back to the status quo that you've already failed to meet doesn't seem like "the only thing you can do" or a great way to show that you value our trust.

But books that are being received more recently, are being graded ahead of books sent in months ago. My 2 day books from June 11th are graded, but 2 day books from mid and end of may are not. Makes perfect sense...

I'm in the same boat I was quoted a 24 week TAT since I had 3 or 4 books out of the 27 I submitted were for pressing while 4 of them were submitted for art....they were received 12/10/17 so passed that 24 week period....Interestingly enough in that time period my member ship expired....a free renewal would help!

Sorry guys. I sent my 1st submission when CBCS opened and got my books 5 months later. I decided to start sending some of my volume to CBCS now and they move. My 2 day should be about 2 months. I will wait to submit more so the rest of you can enjoy better Tat’s.

My membership is up in a few weeks. The way this was handled, I'm sure will have some influence on where money is spent going forward. I just got a couple billing upgrades on books that I should be getting discounted on for the inconvenience, but well that doesn't seem to be happening. Losing faith here....

1) With the move to Dallas, will the customer service Hours of Operation be changing to Central Time (CST)?

2) It appears that I've been double-billed on an order. I assume the paperwork was mixed up during the move. I submitted two books at Comicpalooza (Houston) in May under 2-Day, and they've already been graded & returned. The ten modern books submitted on the same day showed up today on my dashboard, but so did a separate order for the 2-Day Modern's, with a pending balance, and a note to charge my credit card. As much as I would appreciate additional copies of Venom: Lethal Protector Gold & Platinum w/ Sam de la Rosa's signature, I doubt you've got a stack sitting around; and I really don't feel like paying for them twice. Could you have someone look into this before the charges are applied?

The oldest submissions I am waiting for to get back are both simple Moderns (no VSP, no press, etc., just grading). They are dated March 13 and March 16. Has anyone else had their Moderns from around then shipped back? Thanks in advance for any responses.

Yeah still don't understand that spreadsheet. All I know I submitted books in Greenville back in march. Was told 12 weeks so but way way past that now. Prob be the last time I submit books for awhile. maybe if anyone else submitted books at that show knows anything on timeframe, would be helpful.

My Books submitted March 10,2018 are now almost a month behind the stated 12 week TAT, still setting at "Processing"

I really like for my books to be in CBCS slabs. The presents of another legitimate grading company is a positive thing for the hobby.

I can certainly understand a new start up company having some "growing pains", but at this point I believe CBCS has now been around long enough that they can no longer use that excuse.

Then it was the Hurricane excuse

Now its the "Moving" excuse

I feel that many customers really want to give CBCS the benefit of the doubt that they can become a legitimate peer to CGC, but are growing weary with the lack of progression CBCS continues to promise with their services but never seems to materialize (TAT's, Registry, Concise on-Line Submisson features, Consistant customer service and a wider range of Shipping options.

Unless CBCS can address the issues's above in a MAJOR way, in the next year, they will certainly never gain a market share of any substantial meaning in which they would be able to elevate themselves to realistically put any real pressure on CGC.

If not, I fear they will end up fading into just another second tier grading company

Originally Posted by BigRedOne1944My Books submitted March 10,2018 are now almost a month behind the stated 12 week TAT, still setting at "Processing"

I really like for my books to be in CBCS slabs. The presents of another legitimate grading company is a positive thing for the hobby.

I can certainly understand a new start up company having some "growing pains", but at this point I believe CBCS has now been around long enough that they can no longer use that excuse.

Then it was the Hurricane excuse

Now its the "Moving" excuse

I feel that many customers really want to give CBCS the benefit of the doubt that they can become a legitimate peer to CGC, but are growing weary with the lack of progression CBCS continues to promise with their services but never seems to materialize (TAT's, Registry, Concise on-Line Submisson features, Consistant customer service and a wider range of Shipping options.

Unless CBCS can address the issues's above in a MAJOR way, in the next year, they will certainly never gain a market share of any substantial meaning in which they would be able to elevate themselves to realistically put any real pressure on CGC.

If not, I fear they will end up fading into just another second
tier grading company

Agreed. Gonna send a few to somewhere else and see if I get these back before my march submission. Which really sucks cause 1. I have to pay a membership fee and 2. I really liked cbcs before this

I'm afraid alot of the books I submitted in April and early may wont ger back to me before shows I'm attending in September. I've still yet to hear back on my 2 day moderns submitted may 25th.... NOT GOOD.